Vergil

Vergil is the eldest of the twin sons of Sparda and Eva, and is the main antagonist of Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and the special edition version. Unlike Dante, his younger brother, he embraces his demonic heritage and despises his human one. His personality is a complete opposite to Dante's; whereas Dante is hot-headed and sarcastic, Vergil is calm and calculating. He has a lust for power and is willing to disregard anything to obtain the power of his father, Sparda. He uses Yamato, a keepsake from his father, and possesses a sense of style which rivals Dante's.

As a playable character in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Vergil has access to Devil Trigger, Dark Slayer Style, Yamato, Beowulf, Force Edge, and Summoned Swords throughout the game.

Appearance
For the most part, Vergil looks identical to Dante in hair and facial features. However, Vergil usually has his hair swept back instead of brushed down like Dante, presumably to resemble his father and to distinguish himself from his brother. Before being turned into Nelo Angelo, Vergil wore a blue long coat with three tails and a snake like pattern on the right side of the jacket. After that, he wore heavy armor that pulsed colors according to his vitality. The armor included a humanoid helmet with horns protruding from the forehead and a cape. In his final confrontation against Dante, he removed his helmet to reveal a sickly white skin tone with blue veins and red eyes with his hair still swept back. Nelo Angelo's armor gained a slight redesign in Devil May Cry 3 which did pulse, but not according to Nelo Angelo's vitality.

It should be noted, that Sparda himself seemingly wore purple as his trademark color, and his sons, Dante and Vergil, wear red and blue respectively; the two colors when combined create purple.

Personality
Vergil's personality is almost the complete opposite of Dante's personality. Even though they are twin brothers, Vergil is calm, cool, and collected. He is quiet and prefers swords over guns, since he considers firearms unworthy of a "true warrior". However, his quietness is not due to a lack of self-confidence; it is because he never shows fear for anything. Interestingly, despite his cold persona and ruthlessness he is an honorable warrior (aside from his dislike of guns in general), he despises fighting dirty and (as Nelo Angelo) he refuses to attack his opponents from behind.

It would appear that Dante and Vergil were close at one time during their childhood. After the boss fight with Arkham in Devil May Cry 3, Dante and Vergil finish him by each of them firing one of Dante's guns, simultaneously saying a catchphrase, "Jackpot", after Dante asks his brother, "Remember what we used to say?".

Unlike Dante, Vergil is willing to embrace his demonic heritage, and seeks to emulate his father's power and cold persona. While Dante seeks to protect humanity from the demons, Vergil wants more demonic power, regardless of the consequences to those around him. Despite his normal personality of cold dismissal, he does cherish two things: the Devil-blade Yamato, a dark O-Katana left to him as a keepsake by his father, and his own half of the Perfect Amulet, a keepsake from his mother. In Devil May Cry 3, Vergil seems to reveal some of his feelings by claiming to Dante: "Might controls everything, and without strength you cannot protect anything, let alone yourself.". This may be a reference to their mother's death. It may also imply that Vergil seeks power as compensation for failing to protect her. His failure may also have made him forsake close human relationships.

As Nelo Angelo, Vergil lacks speech (Though in Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition in his Nelo Angelo costume, one of his taunts has him say "Come on" in a dark and menacing voice). He is also pained when forced to remember Dante and their family. An example would be when he glimpses Dante's half of the Perfect Amulet, seemingly indicating that he is possessed by Mundus to some degree.

Early life
Sometime before their eighth birthday, Eva gave Dante and Vergil each a half of the Perfect Amulet. Around the same time, Sparda disappeared, and Eva and the twins were left alone. Some point after Sparda's death, when the twin's turned eight, Vergil, Dante and their mother were attacked by revenge-seeking demons, who hoped to harm Sparda's loved ones in his death. Eva was killed, while the brothers survived. However, the twins were separated, and Dante believed Vergil to have died.

Devil May Cry 3 manga
At least one year before the events of Devil May Cry 3, Arkham finds Vergil searching for a book in his library, and tells him about the legend of the Temen-ni-gru. Vergil endorses Arkham's plan to raise the Temen-ni-gru. Arkham reveals that they must undo a number of "seals" as the first step. These seals are, in fact, fallen angels representing the seven deadly sins, and they must be given their names in order for the seals to be undone. While Arkham searches for the location of each seal, Vergil resides in his mansion, along with Alice. However, he wanders through the town at one point, and is confused with Dante by Enzo Ferino. The revelation that Dante lives within the city seems to excite Vergil.

As Dante finishes his job to "rescue" Alice, Vergil enters the mansion and questions White Rabbit about the amulet's power. As Dante and Vergil leave the mansion, they unknowingly cross paths, and Dante is startled after realizing who he passed.

Devil May Cry 3
Arkham helps Vergil to break the first seven seals Sparda cast upon the Temen-ni-gru, and then directs him to the Forbidden Land at the base of the tower. Vergil is later seen alongside Arkham at the top of the emerging tower. When the Hell Vanguard they sent to kill Dante returns, having failed its task, Vergil immediately dispatches it.

Vergil waits at the top of the tower for Dante, and at one point dispatches Arkham to eliminate Lady. When Dante reaches the peak of the tower, the two banter and then ferociously battle. Vergil emerges victorious, and takes Dante's half of the Perfect Amulet as his prize. Though Dante's Devil Trigger begins to manifest and Vergil prepares to fight him again, Arkham urges him to ignore Dante because "[they] already have all [they] need". The two then jump off the tower to reenter the Forbidden Land.

As Vergil and Arkham approach the final door to the Lair of Judgement, Vergil reveals his knowledge of Arkham's betrayal, and deals him a mortal blow. He then enters the chamber and commences the ritual to open the gate to the demonic world. During this ritual, he is momentarily interrupted by a blinded Beowulf, who has mistaken him for Dante. However, Vergil quickly vivisects the devil, and takes his soul as a Devil Arm.

While Dante was hurrying up to the final seal, Vergil had no luck on unlocking the seal, and was later interrupted by Dante. The twins engaged another fight which was interrupted by Lady causing the battle to end in a tie. Both demonic brothers are equally wounded, and Jester makes his appearance by announcing that everybody has served their role nicely. Jester later turned back and forth between Arkham and Jester, explaining why Vergil's ritual was incomplete, and why Vergil had failed against Dante and Lady. Arkham completes the ritual, and then plays with the three warriors while waiting for the tower to activate. Once it does, he knocks them off the ascending platform, wherein Vergil falls into an abyss.

Later, after Dante enters the Netherworld, Vergil is seen passing through the Divine Library, with Lady still huddled up, wounded and in grief, after her battle with Dante. She hears his footsteps and looks up to see who it was, but by that time, he had already gone through the door that Dante took. Vergil later interrupts Dante's fight with the ascended Arkham, and the twins finish Arkham off together. However, Vergil has not given up his goal of obtaining the Force Edge, and the twins are again forced to fight. Though Dante is able to defeat Vergil, he cannot convince him to return to the Human World. Vergil lets himself fall even deeper into the Netherworld.

In the epilogue, Vergil is seen in the Room of Fallen Ones, while three glowing orbs approach. Vergil recognizes the approaching devil, and prepares to defeat him, remarking "If my father did it, I should be able to do it too." However, in his weakened state he is defeated and corrupted into becoming Nelo Angelo, a new Devil Trigger for Vergil under the control of Mundus.

Devil May Cry
After being defeated by Mundus, Vergil became Nelo Angelo, the dark knight controlled by Sparda's long time enemy.

Dante fights his twin three times in the game; in their last encounter Nelo Angelo, after being defeated, leaves what Dante recognizes to be Vergil's half of the "Perfect Amulet", understanding that his nemesis was none other but his brother. In "Devil May Cry", Vergil/Nelo Angelo never speaks, probably due to Mundus's influence, but even if he is subjugated he sometimes seems to remember his identity, especially when meeting Dante.

Devil May Cry 4
While he is not mentioned by name, Dante refers to the Yamato as "[his] brother's". Finally, Agnus said the Bianco Angelo enemies are created from the fragments of the "Dark Angel". It is also highly hinted that Vergil is Nero's father. However due to the restraints on age it is unlikely.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3
In Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Vergil is the fourth alternate color costume for the famous Capcom and Resident Evil villain, Albert Wesker.

Vergil appears as a playable character in the updated version of the game, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, having been leaked before his vignette was shown at the Tokyo Game Show 2011. As before, he still wields all of his weapons from Devil May Cry 3 which include the Yamato, Beowulf and Force Edge, while still using their attacks in the same manner. While not as combo savvy as Dante, his Yamato gives him excellent range in his normals and his Trick maneuvers can either be used independently or used right after several specials, giving him excellent mindgames. Unlike most characters, Vergil has four Hypers, one being the desperation version of his Judgment Cut called "Dimension Slash" from the final battle, another where he brings about his Spiral Swords to augment his attacks and use them in the same manner he did in Devil May Cry 3, using the familiar arrow formation and the boss-only orbiting formation, both which use up the gauge. Another of his activates his Devil Trigger and his fourth, a Level 3 Hyper called "Dark Angel" only available in DT where he slashes the opponent, summoning swords behind his opponent with each strike and then rains them down on his opponent when finished. This Hyper is one of the most damaging Hypers in UMVC3.

Vergil's theme is a remix of his boss battle theme from Mission 13. His alternate colors consist of a black swap based on a concept render, a blue and red one based on Nero, a white based on Kyosuke from the Capcom fighting game, Rival Schools, a red one for his "Vante" version and a vibrant blue and red one based on Dimitri from Darkstalkers, another Capcom fighting game. His DLC outfit is Corrupt Vergil.

In the CG opening, he is seen fighting against Wolverine. In his ending, he subdues Wolverine and obtains the Muramasa Blade to negate his healing factor. Unfortunately, Vergil becomes addicted to the sword's blood-drinking nature and Devil Triggers, seeking out more blood for the sword to feast on.

Viewtiful Joe
Vergil's attire is a costume for Stylish Alastor in Viewtiful Joe Red Hot Rumble.

Devil May Cry Volume 1
Thanks to Devil May Cry 3, the light novel that was created by Shin-ya Goikeda, who worked closely with series creator Hideki Kamiya during the development of the novel, is now thrown out of canon; however, Vergil appears in this novel under the alias 'Gilver'.

A mysteriously bandaged man sporting a green suit, he is looking to join a popular group of mercenaries. He even goes as far as killing a harmless man looking for information on him to keep it a secret. Gilver is initiated into the group after picking a fight with Tony Redgrave... which eventually becomes a vodka drinking contest! Unlike Tony, Gilver can't hold his liquor and passes out nearly immediately and gets mugged because of the guild's tradition of "whoever passes out first pays for the drinks". Understandably, Gilver expresses his dislike of for alcohol for the rest of the novel.

Although older than his DMC3 incarnation he still retains his chilling and calm attitude. It is stated that his stare will even give the meanest of men goosebumps, however everyone envies his extraordinary strength and skills with his slim katana. He took on any high-paying jobs, unlike Tony, and would pay for the drinks at Bobby's Cellar (which is the novel's the "hang out" bar for mercenaries) when he returned from his jobs thus earning him quite a reputation even though he was taking all the good jobs away from them.

This generosity was a clever ruse, as by earning the trust of the guild he then proceeded to feed them to the demons he released after slowly but surely unleashing the wrath of the Underworld back onto the Human World.

His evil scheme was to allow the darkness to distort and manifest all of the Human World so that he could release his true demonic powers. He was able to read his brother's fighting style even after the sword his brother wielded had awakened. Gilver tried to stab Dante in the heart but he missed thanks to their mother's amulet shielding Dante from the blow. He is fatally wounded after Dante opens fire on him with his new guns: Ebony & Ivory. It is then that the bandages covering his face fall off, revealing to his little brother that his opponent is his own twin. He then fades away along with the demonic powers that tried to consume the Human World a second time.

He is also featured in Devil May Cry Volume 2 except this time as Nelo Angelo.

SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS
Vergil is a character card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighter DS.

Powers & Abilities
Like his brother Dante, Vergil possesses the blood of Sparda in his veins. This gives him uniquely inhuman abilities and endows him with physical prowess far beyond that of any Human. He can also use the transformation called Devil Trigger, which he mastered long before Dante due to embracing his Demonic heritage. He is more adept at advanced teleportation than Dante due to his greater knowledge and experience with his powers. As he does not consider firearms as true weapons, he manifests Summoned Swords as long-range weapons instead. After being corrupted by Mundus, Vergil, now known as Nelo Angelo, receives new enhancements to his powers including an increase in his strength, though his techniques seemingly lose variety. When he jumps during his Yamato DT wings sprout out, however, he cannot glide or fly with them.

As for melee, Vergil usually uses his signature katana Yamato in battle. He utilizes a real-life sword style, known as Iaido, which involves attacking with both the sword and scabbard. He also uses other weapons at times, like Beowulf and Force Edge. Vergil is shown to be a master swordsman, striking so fast that the opponent does not realize they have been slain until he sheathes his weapon. His swordsmanship is noted to exceed that of Dante's, as evidenced by the facts that he defeats Dante in battle several times, and could therefore be considered the most skilled swordsman in the entire series with the possible exception of his father, Sparda.

For most of Devil May Cry 3 and the Devil May Cry 3 manga, he is shown to be a stronger fighter than Dante. Even after his defeat at the hands of Dante and Mundus, he returns as Nelo Angelo in Devil May Cry and is still capable of disarming Dante in battle.

Gameplay
In Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, players may play on a separate file as Vergil. Vergil's scenario has a new prologue, but all other cutscenes were removed. Also, while the Vergil boss fights are still fought, the boss wears red instead of blue to give the impression that Dante is being fought. The boss is sometimes named "Vante" by the fans to resolve the confusion.

Vergil possesses his Devil Trigger and all three of his Devil Arms (Yamato, Beowulf, and Force Edge) from the beginning of his scenario. His signature Dark Slayer Style behaves somewhat like an upgraded Trickster Style, allowing to quickly move on the battlefield and ambush enemies. It must also be leveled in order to allow purchase of higher level actions for Vergil's weapons. Vergil also cannot obtain as many actions per weapon as Dante can, and uses his Summoned Swords instead of firearms.

Vergil's Yamato is a faster weapon than Dante's Rebellion, but has weaker power and range. Yamato can be compared to Agni & Rudra in its role, although it has completely different moveset. Vergil's Beowulf cannot charge attacks like Dante's, but overall is more powerful. Vergil can also use Yamato and Force Edge together, and his actions with the pair of swords resembles Dante with the Rebellion. Finally, while firing his Summoned Swords cannot propel Vergil like Ebony & Ivory can propel Dante, they can still juggle enemies, can be used without interrupting other actions, and can be used both to guard himself or to surround the enemy.

Instead of Dante's "Legendary Dark Knight Dante" and "Super Legendary Dark Knight Dante" costumes which allow him to assume Sparda Devil Trigger, Vergil possesses the "Corrupt Vergil" and "Super Corrupt Vergil" costumes which allow him to assume his Nelo Angelo Devil Trigger. While in human form in either incarnation, his appearance is similar to Dante's "Legendary Dark Knight Dante" look, except without the monocle, and has evil red eyes, a pale complexion, a darker purple coat with yellow borders, and highly noticeable dark veins in his face. As Nelo Angelo, Vergil becomes noticeably stronger than Dante would in his Devil Trigger and his entire moveset changes to that of that one he possessed in the first game. His armor and zweihander serve as his weapons and both inflict dark elemental damage. He attacks with slow but strong sword slashes, punches and kicks that generate an azure-colored flame. He can also charge up to fire explosive azure blasts of energy with either weapon. Nelo Angelo still retains his Air Trick, but comes in the form of vanishing in a blaze of azure flame instead of a blur. While the powerful armor gives him higher resistance to flinching, he is noticeably slower than his original devil form.

Background
His name comes from Publius Vergilius Maro, who was a classical Roman poet. Dante Alighieri made Virgil his guide through Hell and Purgatory in his Divine Comedy.

Trivia

 * Traditionally, Vergil's mixed lineage of a demon father and human mother would make him a Cambion, although a name is never given in the games, and is usually referred to as "half-demon."
 * Vergil is the first boss character in the series to gain a playable role. When playing as him, in places where Vergil should be fought in a boss battle a reskinned version of him would appear. As it is wearing a red coat it is often referred to as Vante by fans. Interestingly New Dante has a color swap based on Vergil in the cross-over game PlaySation All-Stars Battle Royale.
 * In reverse, Dante becomes a boss character in Devil May Cry 4.
 * In addition, Vergil is the most recurring boss character in the series, making a total of six appearances for a boss battle.
 * The only gun Vergil has ever been seen firing is the Ebony, during the battle against Arkham in Devil May Cry 3.
 * Vergil also uses Dante's Rebellion during the battle against Arkham in Devil May Cry 3.
 * The character Lorenzo from the survival horror video game, Haunting Ground, is fairly similar to Vergil. Like Vergil, he is a relative of the protagonist who is obsessed with obtaining an element of power that his relative possesses (the Sparda and Perfect Amulet for Vergil, and the Azoth for Lorenzo), and even tries to kill his relative to acquire it. Furthermore, they both have the same hairstyle (Lorenzo on hard mode), and both games were made by Capcom.
 * It has been allegedly confirmed that Nero is his illegitimate son, though there is no canon information to confirm this beyond all doubt.
 * Vergil's fighting style, weapons, and element somehow resembles Mitsunari Ishida from Sengoku Basara 3.